Public Invited to Veterans Day Program at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

The public is invited to commemorate Veterans Day at a free program, “The Cultural History of the Great War and its 100 Year Legacy,” at 1 p.m. on Nov. 11 at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. Joseph Stuart, chair of the University of Mary History Department, will present elements of “the war to end all wars” that continue to affect world politics today. A reader’s theater production created and performed by University of Mary students, “Letters from the Great War,” will conclude the program. As part of a history course, Stuart’s students combed the North Dakota State Archives for letters and information from young men and women who served in Europe and called North Dakota home. The students have identified and transcribed more than 100 letters from “boys at the front” and nurses who served in the Great War. Portions of these letters make up the moving content of this unique performance. This presentation kicks off a two-year series, “Perspectives on the Legacy of World War I,” commemorating the centennial of World War I. The series, a partnership of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the University of Mary, will feature quarterly presentations at the ND Heritage Center. Coming up on Feb. 18 is Perry Hornbacher, professor of history at Bismarck State College, offering a perspective on the Great War’s legacy using WWI posters that were intended to engage Americans in supporting the war effort. Exhibits and posters are currently on display at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum telling the WWI story of North Dakota through items such as military weapons, documents, gear, and more. “Perspective on the Legacy of World War I” is presented in affiliation with North Dakota World War I Centennial Committee. For more information, contact Erik Holland, 701.328.2792. Find a calendar of upcoming State Historical Society events at history.nd.gov/events.